The origin of human language, and in particular the question of whether or not Neanderthal man was capable of language/speech, is of major interest to anthropologists but remains an area of great controversy. Despite palaeoneurological evidence to the contrary, many researchers hold to the view that Neanderthals were incapable of language/speech, basing their arguments largely on studies of laryngeal/basicranial morphology. Studies, however, have been hampered by the absence of unambiguous fossil evidence. We now report the discovery of a well-preserved human hyoid bone from Middle Palaeolithic layers of Kebara Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, dating from about 60,000 years BP. The bone is almost identical in size and shape to the hyoid of present-day populations, suggesting that there has been little or no change in the visceral skeleton (including the hyoid, middle ear ossicles, and inferentially the larynx) during the past 60,000 years of human evolution. We conclude that the morphological basis for human speech capability appears to have been fully developed during the Middle Palaeolithic.
The authors present the stratigraphical results produced from new excavations in the Pendimoun rock shelter (Castellar, Alpes-Maritimes) ; geoarchaeological, archaeozoological and palaeobotanical preliminary studies are also submitted. New data related to the Early Neolithic period (Impressed Ware Cultural Complex) are more largely developed. This period shows two cultural phases, ancient (Impressa) and recent (Early Cardial), enclosing a funeral episode. This cultural sequence is discussed in a French and Italian context. Twice over, the anthropological field studies presented in this paper give evidence of the voluntary filling of the funeral pits and of the installation of funeral devices upon the burials.
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